


Father Figure

by vanillaxo



Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, Gen, I’m obsessed with Dad!Tony okay, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Peter and Morgan are twins, Precious Peter Parker, Twins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-03-02 13:28:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18811837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanillaxo/pseuds/vanillaxo
Summary: Tony was panicked.No, scrap that, he was frightened. Inconsolable. Perturbed. Hysterical. Definitely not capable of being a father- much less one overnight to two kids.Father. Two. Kids.God. It even sounded insane. Was the universe serious? This had to be a joke, right?- CURRENTLY ON HIATUS -





	1. Father Figure

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! Please enjoy this random story that I created because I can’t get the idea of Dad!Tony out of my head. 
> 
> (Also, because I’m a bit obsessed with Peter Parker and the cuteness that is Morgan Stark!)
> 
> Again, enjoy! :)
> 
> Little A/N:
> 
> This is all for fun, so please excuse the disregard for correct timelines. This story works completely by my imagination, and not at all by the MCU timeline. Whoops. :-) (Tbh I’m not quite sure how this timeline works. Just bare with me pls)

Tony was panicked. 

No, scrap that, he was frightened. Inconsolable. Perturbed. Hysterical. Definitely not capable of being a father- much less one overnight to  two  kids.

_Father. Two. Kids_.

God . It even sounded insane. Was the universe serious? This had to be a joke, right?

Tony remembered Pepper shaking her head when asking her that same question for the third time. 

“ _No_ , _Tony,” Pepper shook her head exasperatedly. “The DNA matches. They’re yours.”_

She seemed completely run down, but then again, she always did whenever it came to Tony. And this was exactly what Tony was talking about; this was the effect he had on people. He wasn’t dad material. How could he be, he could barely take care of himself. It couldn’t be real.

But it was.

Their DNA matched. 

He had kids. 

But he had a choice. He had a choice to take them in and be a dad, or to send them packing to a life of moving from one foster home to the next. 

He shouldn’t be qualified to make these sort of choices. Run a multi-billion dollar company? Easy. Be dubbed as one of the world’s youngest brilliant minds? Simple. But making a decision that would affect two young lives, particularly two lives that had his blood running through their veins, is where he draws the line. Hell, he didn’t even know his own social security number. How could he be capable of having kids? 

“What do I do, Pepper? I can’t... I... The only father figure I ever had in my life was Howard, and he’s the only one I can model myself after and I refuse to put any kid through what I went through. I can’t be what they need,” Tony threw the alcoholic drink to the back of his throat, swallowing deeply.

“First,” Pepper started, gently taking the glass out of Tony’s hands. “You need to stop drinking. Second, I can’t be the one to tell you. This is up to you. But... you are not your father, Tony. You don’t have to be like him. You can break the cycle of shame.”

Pepper went to walk over to the door, preparing to leave the room as she knew that this was something he needed to figure out on his own, but not before adding, “And, Tony, whatever you choose to do, you will always be a father. Even if you don’t take them, you will still be their dad. Even if you never speak one conversation with them, you’re still their dad. You’ll just be an absent one at that.”

Tony didn’t look up to watch her leave; he just heard the sound of her heels clicking fade away before he looked back up and pressed his head against his hands. 

His own father’s voice kept drifting in and out of his head- even in his death, Howard was always there. Or, at least his voice was. 

_ You could never be a father. You don’t have the guts. They’ll be worse off with you .  _

Tony scrunched his face and smacked his forehead lightly, trying to rid of the voice. He needed to think clearly. He needed to think it through, through all the possibilities. He needed... a drink. 

Letting out a sigh, Tony slumped back into his chair and stared at the nothingness in front of him. 

“JARVIS, give me everything you have on Mary Fitzpatrick and her two kids.”

 

-

 

“Where are they?” Tony was impatient. That much Louise, the child care worker, could tell. He was practically falling off his seat, his left leg bouncing incessantly, and his eyes could not stay still as it roamed the room in search of two little heads. 

“Mr. Stark, you have to understand that we need to clear you first and fill you in as much as possible. There are... precautions to take,” Louise tried. This wasn’t the first time she’s dealt with an anxious parent-to-be. 

As unfortunate as the circumstances were, it wasn’t uncommon for these sort of instances to happen. It was just the first that she’s seen where it happened to someone as... influential as Tony Stark. 

But Tony couldn’t help but be nervous. His kids were somewhere in the same building as him. That thought was enough to spazz him out completely. 

“Okay, yeah, go ahead,” Tony gestured for her to go on, obviously just trying to get this meeting over with, and Louise let out a little ‘tsk’ before she decided to do as he said. 

“I’m sure that you’ve already been made aware of their situation. Their mother, Mary Fitzpatrick, alongside her... husband? Boyfriend? Record isn’t clear, but she and Richard Parker died on an airplane crash, leaving behind Mary’s two 2 year old twins: Peter and Morgan Parker. As far as we know, the twins were aware that Richard wasn’t their father. Mary and Richard seemed to be very  _realistic_   parents,” Louise tried her best to make everything clear and easy to understand.

These were all details Tony already knew (perks of having an AI), but he stayed silent and let the worker talk if it gave her the piece of mind to do so. 

“Your name is on the children’s birth certificate, and as we have recently found out, you are their biological father. So, about the twins,” Tony suddenly perked up. 

“As I said, they’re 2 years old, as of August 10th. They are both uncharacteristically very sweet children, and can be wild ones once they’re comfortable, but at first, they can be apprehensive. Specifically Peter, who’s a bit more shy. Morgan tends to be the one to take charge for the both of them,” Louise let out a chuckle at this, making Tony suddenly feel like an outsider about his own children. He wish he understood why she was chuckling.

“That being said, if you do choose to keep them, just be very conscious of the fact that their parents just died. It may take a while for it to really sink in for them, so just be gentle and patient,” Tony nearly snorted at that.  Gentle and patient? There are many words to describe Tony Stark, but nobody would ever say gentle and patient. 

“There are more papers here on everything about them. Characteristics, personality, allergies, records, you name it and they’re all here for you. Be sure to look them over when you get the chance,” She handed the papers over to the man, eyeing his reaction to all of this. “And again, if you do choose to take them, we will doing one visit per month at your home for the next four months, just to make sure the kids are doing well.”

Tony nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he gulped.  Was this really happening?

“There’s more we need to talk about, but I may be correct to assume that you’re quite eager to meet them,” She paused for Tony’s response, but he merely stared at her. She tried her best to not shake her head in incredulity; the Tony Stark in front of her was not at all the Tony Stark one might see on the media. “Perfect. So, if you’d just follow me.”

Tony fumbled from his chair slightly, following Louise out the door. 

Tony felt his heart thump against his chest. There’s no going back from this point.

To ease his anxiety, Tony kept telling himself that meeting them didn’t have to mean anything. Just because he was meeting them didn’t mean he had to take them home. He was just… meeting them. Yeah. That’s all it was. No biggie.

“And here we are. They’re inside playing with toys. Feel free to take your time,” Louise gestured to the door, a supportive smile on her face. 

Tony mustered a slight smile back and forced himself to turn the doorknob and walk in the room before he thought too much about it and chickened out last minute. 

The first thing Tony noticed was how bright and colorful the room was. It was very obviously a children’s play room, with toys strewn all throughout the room, and tiny furniture everywhere. Tony wasn’t sure he’d ever been in a room like this before, even as a child.

The second thing Tony noticed were two pairs of eyes staring at him.

On the matted floor were two tiny humans ( ‘ _Are 2 year olds supposed to be that small?!_ _’_ ) playing with baby dolls. Prior to Tony’s entrance, Morgan was brushing her baby’s hair with the toy brush while Peter was lost in thought, patting his baby’s stomach softly and repetitively. 

But once Tony walked in the room, both children turned to the unfamiliar man. Peter immediately froze, but Morgan dropped her doll on the floor as she got up and wobbled over to Tony.

“Hi,” Morgan said, her sweet little voice making even Tony internally ‘aw’ at the sound. 

Tony felt breathless looking down at this slightly nervous but friendly little girl. Her big brown eyes that matched her brother’s were the first thing that Tony noticed; they were so wide and big and so full of innocence. Something in Tony twinged. He didn’t want to be the one responsible for taking that innocence away.

“Hi,” Tony replied back lamely, unsure of how to converse with a 2 year old. 

She continued to speak her broken, baby sentences, and Tony wasn’t sure how to respond. “Huh?” Tony asked, feeling completely out of his realm here.

Suddenly, Morgan shrieked and ran back over to where she left her doll on the floor, as if just now noticing she had abandoned the doll in the first place.

“Sorry baby,” Morgan said, cuddling the doll to her chest a little too tightly. 

Tony took this time to really look at them- they both had the biggest, most brown eyes Tony had ever seen in his life. They both had brunette hair and long eyelashes, making them resemble dolls in Tony’s perspective. They looked so much like him…. He couldn’t stop looking at them. He knew that they were his kids before seeing them, as per the DNA test, but looking at them with his own two eyes, it was like reality hitting him in the face. 

They were his kids.

Not wanting to just creep around, he approached the two on the floor and sat at a comfortable distance from them, observing them the best he could. 

“Hi, buddy,” Tony tried at Peter, but Peter only hid his face behind his doll. 

“Peter,” Morgan stated in a loud voice.

“Huh?” Tony said, his eyes flitting over to the little girl.

“Oh,” Tony realized. “Yeah, that’s Peter. And you’re Morgan.”

“Morgan!”

Tony had to hide a smile that threatened to creep onto his face as she tried to say her name the best way she could, but it still sounded all jarbled thanks to her baby speech.

“And I’m Tony.”

“Tony!” Morgan exclaimed, pointing at Tony. 

“You’re right, kiddo. Wow, you’re quite a loud one, aren’t you?”

“No,” Morgan said, her wide eyes focused on her doll. 

“No you’re not loud? Or no because that’s like every kid’s favorite word?”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“No!” At that, Morgan let out a loud string of laughter that Tony jolted at, but smiled nonetheless. “I don’t know what you’re laughing at, but your laugh is contagious, Morgan.”

After a few minutes of Tony pretending to understand what Morgan was saying and remarking on both Peter’s and Morgan’s dolls, Peter finally got up from the spot he was frozen on since Tony came in the room, and slowly walked over to Tony before offering the doll to him.

Tony gaped at the boy. “Thank you, Peter,” Tony said gently in a voice he never thought he could possess, and offered his kindest smile to the young boy. 

Peter blushed slightly, before quickly heading back over to his sister to maintain the distance between them. But still, Tony knew that was something. He was getting somewhere.

Tony continued to observe the two as they played, chiming in a few times here and there, but he mainly maintained a distance to watch from afar. 

Eventually, both children started exhibiting signs of exhaustion; rubbing their eyes repeatedly and slower movements. 

Tony could do nothing but watch as Morgan got up and walked over to Tony all while rubbing her eyes, and curled herself on his lap and shut her eyes. 

Tony’s eyes grew wide and he froze, uncertain of what to do at this point. He glanced over at Peter, who looked just as exhausted but stubbornly remained awake and forced his eyes to stay open. 

“Morgan,” Tony whispered, urging the girl to get up. They were in need of a nap, and he needed to get up to tell Louise. But Morgan must’ve been dead tired, because she was already asleep on Tony’s lap. 

Throwing his head back in disbelief, Tony internally let out a few curse words before he dropped his head back down to look at the sleeping little girl. 

He looked back up at Peter, who was still stubbornly awake, but his sitting body began to sway ever so often, and Tony knew he had to get up so these kids could go wherever they usually go to take a nap. 

Praying that she wouldn’t wake up and start crying, Tony carefully lifted Morgan into his arms and stood up, with Morgan immediately digging her head into Tony’s neck and clutching onto him tightly. 

Tony had never held a child like this before, and he tried his best to not be so affected by this small action, but she was so... tiny. So innocent. He didn’t want to let her go, as much as he didn’t want to admit it. 

“Peter,” Tony called quietly, holding his hand out. “Let’s go back out now, okay?”

Peter hesitated, staring at the man before him. 

“Look, Morgan is coming with me too. Don’t you want to go with your sister?” Tony urged, and that seemed to do it, because Peter albeit hesitantly held onto Tony’s hand, letting him lead him out the room. 

Right when Tony opened the door, he spotted Louise standing next to a one way mirror that Tony hadn’t even noticed. 

Tony gave her a look. “You saw me struggle with them this whole time and you just watched.”

Louise simply smiled. “I wanted to give you the chance to experience what it’s like to be a father.”

Tony stared. He wasn’t sure what to say to that. “Uh, thanks. They, um, need their nap, I’m guessing.”

Louise nodded, before calling over to two workers who Tony didn’t catch the name of to get them. 

Tony didn’t understand why he felt uncomfortable letting them go all of a sudden. 

Peter squeezed Tony’s hand a little tighter before ultimately releasing it when the worker went to pick him up, while Morgan gave them a bit of a harder time- holding onto Tony’s neck tighter when they tried to take her and letting out little whines at the loss of original contact. 

But eventually, the workers took the kids away and Tony wasn’t as relieved as he thought he’d be. 

“Where do they usually stay?”

Louise smiled sadly. “They stay in our rooming area. Think of it as dorm rooms, but for foster children. They switch around a bit, but they’re always very mellow about it. They... they’re a favorite among the workers. They’re incredibly well-behaved for two year olds, and are immensely bright... Apples don’t fall far from the tree, do they?”

Tony nodded, his throat beginning to get tight. He didn’t like the idea of his kids staying at an orphanage, even if it was a nicer one than you might see in movies. This wasn’t Annie. And still, Tony couldn’t help thinking about Morgan and Peter growing up in an orphanage forever, with no real parents and no real home. 

It just didn’t sit right with him. 

_Those kids are better off in the orphanage. Taking them in will only cause them a lifetime of pain._

Tony shook his head to dispel his brain of his dad’s voice. He was wrong. Tony knew he wouldn’t be like Howard. No way in hell would he allow it. 

If Howard were in his place, he’d probably have left Tony at the orphanage if he had a choice. 

But Tony wasn’t his father. 

“I want to take them in. They, uh, they’ll stay with me from now on.”

Louise smiled again, as if expecting this answer. “That’s wonderful to hear, Mr. Stark. I’m glad. Now, you’ll have to come with me and fill out a lot of paperwork, and you’ll be able to bring the twins home most likely by next Wednesday.”

“Woah woah woah, next Wednesday? They’ll have to stay here for another week?” Tony asked, not pleased with this arrangement. Why couldn’t he take them in now?

“Yes, I’m sorry but that’s just how things go. There’s a lot of preparation in putting kids in homes. We still have to wait for the paperwork to go through, we have to do a check up on your house, not to mention that you still need to prepare as well, and perhaps the hardest part is breaking the news to the kids in a way they’ll understand.”

Tony’s eyes widened. He didn’t think about that- about having to break the news to them. What if they hated Tony? What if they didn’t want to go home with him? After all, he was an absolute stranger.

“Is there any other way to make this transition happen quicker? I don’t like the idea of them staying here alone for much longer,” Tony admitted, feeling uncomfortable even thinking about leaving this building without them. He felt like he was abandoning them or something. 

Louise pitied him. She understood, because she’s been in his place before, and having to wait to bring your kids home is a torture within itself. “I’m sorry, Mr. Stark, there’s truly nothing I, nor you, can do. They’ll have to stay here, but I promise that they are well taken care of. And if you’d like, you can visit everyday until then. Actually, I suggest you do, as it may help the transition period go by more smoothly.”

Tony’s jaw set, and he tried not to get angry at Louise. It wasn’t her fault, he knew, he was just upset that he had to leave just like that. After meeting his kids, how could they expect him to leave so easily as if it were nothing? 

“Yeah, if I can’t take ‘em home, I’m coming everyday, then. Damn right.”

 

-

 

The Tower was a mess. 

All throughout the rooms were boxes placed at every corner. Some of them were marked as “baby clothes,” “baby toys,” “baby bed things,” “baby diapers” and so forth. There were dozens of men and women with their own dedicated tasks, including baby-proofing, setting up their beds and cribs (Tony wasn’t sure if they slept in beds or cribs so he just ordered both), decorating their room, and moving everything in. 

It was all very overwhelming, and Tony wasn’t sure what else to do besides boss everyone around and unpack boxes. He had to do something, otherwise he was afraid he’d die of anxiety.

“Tony,” Pepper’s voice rang throughout the room once she stepped through the door, and Tony swung around, relief evident on his face. 

“Oh, thank God,” Tony said, putting down the baby clothes that were in his hands. “I don’t know what to do. The twins are two, and so they’re in that in between period of growing up. Like, some 2 year olds still sleep in cribs, others sleep in beds. Some 2 years olds still wear diapers, others are potty-trained. Some 2 year olds can speak, others can’t. And, I’m just, going slightly crazy because I know these kids just as much as they know me which is zilch, and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do so I just ordered everything and seeing all these boxes out here like this is really spazzing me out because they’re coming home tomorrow and nothing is prepared-“

Pepper knelt down to the panicked man, despite wearing heels and a tight skirt, and shushed him. “Tony, breathe, alright? It’ll be fine. You’ve paid so many people to unpack all these boxes and get everything situated by tonight, so it will be done. Just let the people do their job, okay? And you do know them- you’ve been going to see them everyday! It’ll take time to truly know them, but you’re not a stranger anymore and they’re beginning to understand that you’re their father.”

Tony squeezed his temples. “I barely know them, and they barely know me. Morgan seems to like me, but then again, she likes everyone. And Peter- God, Peter- he hasn’t spoken one word to me at all. I’ve never heard his voice before! He keeps me at an arm’s distance. How is that going to be okay when he lives here? How is that going to work out?”

“Tony!” Pepper exclaimed this time, grabbing his wrist. “Snap out of it, alright? You are their father, and you need to be clear-headed for them. You’ve been doing everything you can, and I get that it’s overwhelming, but it’ll be okay. They will get used to you, you will get used to them, and all this will be like a far away memory. Let yourself take baby steps.”

Tony tried his best not to scoff. Him? Baby steps? His whole life has been huge, giant steps. Howard never let Tony take baby steps- it was always all or nothing with him. 

It must’ve been obvious that Tony was thinking about Howard, because Pepper let out a breath and looked at Tony with firm yet kind eyes. “You are not Howard. Understand me? You are not. You are Tony Stark. And you will be a great father.”

Tony looked into Pepper’s earnest eyes and wondered how he ever got so lucky to have someone like her in his life- she just always knew what to say to him. 

“Thanks, Pep,” Tony muttered quietly, rubbing harshly at his temples. All the stress seemed to be hitting him, and he couldn’t go ahead and do what he usually did when stressed (which was drink), because he had his workers completely toss out all the drinks in his bar and practically put it in lockdown. 

Just great.

“Now,” Pepper began. “How about you go ahead and rest, yeah? I’ll make sure everything runs smoothly. Just, take a nap or something. You look terrible.”

Tony rolled his eyes as both parties rose from the ground. “Oh please.”

Pepper smoothed her hands on her skirt and she shooed Tony towards the direction of his room.

“Alright, alright! If you wanted to get me in bed this badly, all you had to do was ask,” Tony said cheekily. 

Pepper gave him a sweet, irritated smile, “Please get to bed.”

She then turned around so fast that her ponytail flew in the air with her, marching off to boss people around and give orders.

Tony shook his head and headed to his room, smiling slightly. 

Resting against the headboard of his bed, Tony unlocked his phone and stared at the photo displayed- a few days ago while visiting the twins, Louise had taken a candid picture of Tony with them. Sitting at a table that was much too small for Tony’s size, Tony had Morgan on his right lap and Peter on his left, both children focused on whatever their father was drawing on the table. 

The more that Tony looked at the picture, the more it seemed to hit him that he was a father. That by this time tomorrow, he’d have two kids living with him. 

He was terrified.

But deep down there was a part of him that was... excited. 

“JARVIS,” Tony called out to the AI, after quickly setting the picture he had been staring at as his lock-screen. “Wake me up in an hour, alright? I want to be able to make a good impression on my kids, and I don’t wanna scare them off by looking like something that crawled out of an apocalypse. Daddy needs his beauty rest.”

“Of course, sir,” JARVIS replied airily as always. “Although, I’m not quite sure if one hour of sleep will be enough to reverse the physical effects of exhaustion and stress.”

“Are you insinuating that I look like crap, JARVIS?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, sir.”

“That’s right.”

 


	2. Sweet Child O’ Mine

If Tony gripped the wheel any tighter, he’d break it. 

Okay, that was a bit melodramatic, but Tony felt that way nonetheless. 

Waiting outside the foster building in his car was Tony, who had to take a minute or two (or three... or ten... but who’s counting) before walking in to pick up his kids. 

_His kids_ . Would he ever get used to saying that? 

Usually, Happy would drive Tony around pretty much everywhere, but Tony had decided that picking up the twins on his own would be a way to show, well, everyone that he’s on the right track in the world of fatherhood. 

So, willing himself to get out of the car and walk into that building because  _dammit Stark you’ve dealt with worse_ , Tony exited his car with that carefree manner he always carried- digging his hands into his front pockets so no one could see them shaking. 

He walked over to the receptionist at the front desk who looked completely floored as she gazed at the man in front of her. 

Usually, Tony would deal with these situations with ease- but for some reason, he stammered slightly as he opened his mouth to say he was here for Peter and Morgan Parker. Why was he so off his game?

Luckily, a familiar voice shot through the air, “Mr. Stark! Good to see you!” 

Louise walked on over to the nervous man, a wide smile on her face. 

Tony cleared his throat and cast a charismatic smile her way, falling into step with her as he moved further and further away from the shocked receptionist. “Likewise, Louise.”

“How are you feeling? Nervous? Excited?” Louise prodded. The amount of enthusiasm she was exuding gave Tony headaches- she meant well and he didn’t at all dislike her- but she seemed to almost find Tony’s anxiety  _amusing_ . 

“Oh you know, I’m feeling just ecstatic. Nothing better than having two kids suddenly thrust upon you,” Tony attempted to joke. 

Louise was unfazed as she said, “ _Your_   kids.”

Tony just gave her a look, to which she ignored and continued on. “Now, your team has been very efficient in making sure all the right documents are signed and all the correct steps are being taken, so fortunate for you, you can skip all of that right now and just take the twins.”

Tony nearly stopped walking. “What? Just like that?”

“Yep. Just like that,” Louise nodded. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but just last week weren’t you in a hurry to bring them home then, and now you feel hesitant?”

Tony resisted the urge to rub his temples. “I’m not  hesitant , I’m just surprised at how easy it is to get them. I was expecting to stay here 2 hours minimum.”

“Well, like I said, your team has been very efficient, and we’ve been planning it out since last week. You’re ready to go,” Louise said, opening the door for Tony to pass through. “You can wait in here. I’ll go ahead and bring the kids out.”

The door shut behind her, and Tony let out a breath. 

_It’s happening. It’s really happening_.

Before Tony could even think twice, the door reopened and revealed two little bodies, the two of them holding hands. 

“Morgan, Peter, are you guys ready to go with your dad?” Louise spoke gently, holding two small backpacks. Living in a foster home, there wasn’t too much that they had to call their own. Plus, Tony had picked up some of their belongings the day previous so they wouldn’t have to worry about it. 

Morgan, who was usually always energetic and upbeat, didn’t look exactly afraid but was obviously a bit anxious. Peter, on the other hand, had a death grip on his stuffed raccoon, his face white. 

It’s a normal reaction for the kids, especially such young kids, to have this sort of reaction. But that didn’t mean that Tony liked it. 

He carefully walked over to the two children and kneeled down, making himself closer to their height. Two pairs of wide, brown eyes stared at him. 

“Hi Morgan,” Tony started, gently placing his hand on her cheek. “Hi Peter,” he added, placing his other hand on his cheek. 

He tried to give them the gentlest smile he could muster despite feeling like a living ball of anxiety. 

“Remember me? You’ll be staying with me now. I have a big house with a whole lot of toys, and everything you could ever want or need,” Tony spoke, even though he doubted they’d really understand him. “I promise to do my best to take care of you both.”

Tony gulped before stretching out his hands towards both the kids for them to take. Morgan looked up at Louise, who nodded in support, before looking back at Tony. She went forward, past his outstretched hand, and went straight for his chest- wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as if preparing to be carried. 

Tony’s eyes widened and he nearly stumbled, placing his left arm over Morgan’s small body protectively, holding her in place. 

“Alright, monkey,” Tony said, before standing up. He then looked down and offered his hand to Peter once again. 

Peter just looked at Tony, unsure of what to do. 

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Louise urged. “Go ahead.”

Peter, with watery eyes, slowly took one hand off his raccoon to grab onto Tony’s outstretched hand.

Tony squeezed Peter’s hand softly in reassurance. “Thanks, buddy.”

After a tearful goodbye from both children (and Tony struggling to handle two children crying), the twins were buckled safely in the backseat and Tony was driving as slowly as he could. 

Peter had fallen asleep in his seat 10 minutes into the drive, but Morgan wailed and thrashed in her carseat, fat tears falling down her face. 

“You’re okay, Morgan,” Tony tried to console for the hundredth time, his voice shaky. “We’re almost there, I promise.”

Tony had no idea how to calm a 2 year old down, especially when driving. So he resorted to small words of comfort, and ultimately just hoping she’d cry it out before he arrived at the house.

She didn’t. 

Once Tony parked the car and opened the door to her side, she only seemed to thrash more, fully intending to make it harder on her newfound father to unbuckle her from her seat. 

“Come on, Morgan,” Tony begged. “Give your old man a break.”

Eventually, he was able to unbuckle the child, but once he lifted her out of the seat she once again gripped onto Tony for dear life, digging her head into Tony’s neck, sobs wracking through her small body. 

_Doesn’t like car rides. Got it_ , Tony thought to himself before he rubbed her back soothingly and headed on over to Peter’s side. 

“Hey, Peter,” Tony stroked his face gently. “Time to wake up, sleeping beauty. We’re at your new home now.”

Peter woke with a start, and Tony was afraid he’d start crying like his sister, but he merely gazed at Tony. 

That, Tony could handle. 

Doing his best to unbuckle his son while supporting the weight of his daughter, he eventually was able to unbuckle him after a few minutes of struggle. 

Seeing that he didn’t have enough space on him to carry both kids, Tony had to practically pry Morgan off his chest and let her rest on his side (who still dug her head into his shirt), before picking Peter up and putting him on his other side- the young boy tiredly gazing at his surroundings, his raccoon clutched tightly under his arm. 

Tony let out a breath. Who knew getting out of a car could be such a hellish feat?

Deciding to come back for their things later, he walked into his (their?) house. 

“Good afternoon, sir.”

“Afternoon JARVIS. Ever met munchkins before?”

“By munchkins, I’m assuming you mean the children in your arms. And no, sir, I have not.”

“Well, meet these munchkins. I guess.. well, they’re mine now. This one’s Peter and this one’s Morgan. Keep a close eye on ‘em for me, will you?”

“Of course, sir.”

Peter had jumped at the sound of the AI, his eyes wide as he scanned the room for any evidence of where the voice came from. 

Even Morgan, who hadn’t stopped crying fully until now, tore her head away from Tony’s shirt and looked around curiously. 

“Who’s that?” Morgan asked, her voice quiet and still a bit sad. But Tony internally cheered because she was no longer crying; she was rubbing her eyes to clear it of any tears, distracted by the prospect of JARVIS and her new home. 

“That,” Tony couldn’t help the prideful tone in his voice. “Is JARVIS. He’s my AI. He’s in charge of everything in this whole entire house, so if you need anything, you tell JARVIS.”

“What’s a AI?” Morgan asked, her sight now trained on Tony. 

_Right_ , Tony thought.  _Kids don’t know what an AI is... I need to start learning how to speak kid language._

“Well, JARVIS is a special AI. Think of him as the house- you can’t see him, but he’s here,” Tony explained lamely. He never had to ‘dumb down’ what he said, so this was something entirely out of his comfort zone. 

Luckily, the attention span of 2 year olds are never too long, and soon enough they were squirming to be put down. 

Tony placed them gently on the floor and savored the loss of weight on his arms- carrying two children was a lot harder than it looked. 

Tony watched them wander curiously around their new home, before deciding that he should show them their room before doing anything else. 

“Alright, so how about I show you your room right now and then after I’ll whip up something for you both to eat?”

After bringing the twins around the house for a little tour and making dinosaur nuggets for them to eat, the twins went out like a light when Tony tucked them into bed. 

Their sippy cups long forgotten as they snoozed, Tony placed the cups on the side table, and gazed at the kids. 

They’ve only been home for a few hours, and Tony felt like he had learned so much already. 

For one, Morgan and Peter were very smart and ahead- something Tony wasn’t too shocked about given that they had his DNA after all. They both slept in beds rather than cribs (“Cribs are for babies,” as Morgan had put it) and they were already potty trained (though they still needed Tony’s help, to his initial horror). 

Other things he mentally noted was that he still hadn’t heard Peter’s voice (which saddened Tony but he was trying to be patient), but he’d whisper in his sister’s ear and she’d say out loud what Peter said to her. Peter also would not let go of his stuffed raccoon, and refused to sleep without it in his clutch. 

Morgan got comfortable easily, and already walked around like she owned the place (Tony knew his hands would be full enough with just Morgan’s big personality alone). Tony noticed that Morgan was left handed while Peter was right handed, and the both of them ate so quickly that Tony nearly had to scold them out of fear they’d choke on their food. 

When it came to nap time, the two had separate beds, but it seems that they’re not entirely used to being away from each other because they refused to sleep in separate beds. 

Tony didn’t mind. From their behavior, he already assumed that they slept in the same bed when they were in foster care. 

So when their eyes fell shut and their breathing evened out, Tony allowed himself to relax and really look at his kids. 

It’s been a bit more than a week, and Tony still couldn’t believe they were his. Smiling softly as he looked at them, he couldn’t help but lean closer and stroke both of their heads affectionately. 

Feeling something he never felt before, something he couldn’t place his finger on, Tony withdrew from the sleeping kids and headed out the door- not before shooting one last glance at the two. It was a strange feeling- and although it didn’t feel wrong per se, it still felt  _strange_ . Unfamiliar. 

Closing their door quietly, Tony called out, “Hey J. Let me know when they wake up.”

“Will do, sir.”

Tony retreated back to his usual cove, which was the lab, and decided on taking some time to relax in the only way he knew how- by building. Inventing. Tinkering. He was a mechanic, after all. 

2 hours later, Tony was jolted out of his own little scientific soirée when JARVIS suddenly alerted him that Morgan had not only woken up, but was roaming the house. 

Tony sighed. That little girl would definitely be a handful. Deciding that letting a 2 year old wander in unfamiliar terrain probably wouldn’t earn him best dad award, so Tony took off upstairs in search of his daughter.

“Morgan?” Tony called out once he reached the top of the stairs, but caught sight of the young girl standing against the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room, her hands and face pressed against the glass gazing at the open ocean in wonder.

He approached the girl quietly, as to not frighten her, and kneeled down next to her. “Enjoying the view?”

“Water,” Morgan said, her brown eyes still wide and trained onto the ocean before her. 

“Yeah, that’s a lot of water, huh?”

“Mama likes water,” Morgan said, not a hint of sadness in her voice, but filled with usual childlike innocence. 

“I’m sure she did,” Tony said, feeling immense amount of guilt shoot through him because the truth of the matter was that he barely remembered the mother of his children. All that comes to mind when he thinks of Mary Fitzpatrick and that fateful night is alcohol (lots of it), wrinkled sheets, and the smell of roses. 

“Mama went bye-bye,” Morgan said matter-of-factly, and Tony couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. How could a 2 year old comprehend their mother’s death?

“Mama is in the stars now,” Tony said, calling back to his childhood, when his own mother would tell him that when our loved ones died, they went up to the stars. 

This got Morgan to tear her vision away from the ocean and towards her dad. “Stars?” She asked, still wide-eyed.

Tony nodded, letting a small smile grace his face. 

Morgan looked awestruck at the new information, and turned her vision upwards to the blue afternoon sky, her mouth wide open in awe.

After a few moments, Tony cleared his throat. “Do you want a snack? Then play time?” 

Morgan whipped her head to him, a wide smile gracing her face as she nodded- her whole body practically bouncing. 

“Eggs eggs eggs!” Morgan chanted, and Tony couldn’t help the laugh that fell from his lips. 

“Alright, eggs it is. I’ll make some for your brother too so he can eat them when he wakes up.”

Before Tony could turn away, Morgan threw her arms upwards in the air, making grabby hands at him. 

Tony ignored the smile on his face as he picked her up and let her small weight rest on his side. 

As he walked towards the kitchen, Morgan began patting Tony’s face- particularly the slightly bearded area of his face. 

When she tugged at the short facial hair, she let out a loud laugh when she saw Tony’s face scrunch up in pain.

She went to tug again, slowly and toothy to see his reaction, and Tony pretended to go forward and almost bite her finger. 

Morgan shrieked happily and pulled her finger back, her eyes shining. “Hey!”

Strapping her onto the stool of the kitchen’s island so she wouldn’t fall off while Tony was cooking, Tony resisted the sudden urge he felt to kiss her cheeks. Who knew he could be paternal?

He laid out paper and markers on the table so she’d be kept busy (as Louise had instructed him to do), and went to go make her eggs. 

“JARVIS,” Tony called out, wanting to check on his other child. “Is Peter still sleeping?”

“Peter is still asleep in his bed, sir.”

“Thanks, J.”

“Sir,” Morgan’s little voice called out, and Tony turned around to look at her. She was looking at Tony, as if calling out to him. 

“Oh, no,” Tony shook his head. He did not want his kids calling him ‘sir,’ like how his father had forced Tony to call him ‘sir.’ Thinking about it left a nasty taste in his mouth. “Tony.”

Tony paused, before adding awkwardly, “Dad. Y-you can call me dad if you want.”

Morgan cocked her head slightly to the right. “Daddy?” She asked. 

Tony scraped some eggs onto a kid friendly bowl, letting it cool off before placing it in front of Morgan. 

“Thanks Daddy.”

Tony froze and watched the girl happily eat her eggs messily with her right hand and scribble on paper with her left hand, acting as if what she just said didn’t make Tony’s heart race faster.

How could it be that two words made Tony feel like his life simultaneously ended and began at the same time? How could two words make his heart feel so full yet so in pain?

Is this what it’s like to be a father?

With his daughter in front of him swinging her legs happily back and forth and his son napping soundly a few doors down, Tony felt surprisingly calm. 

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, here we have Tony’s firsts at being an affectionate father. 
> 
> I know Peter wasn’t very present, but don’t worry, he’ll have his moment too! He just needs some time- he’s not as outgoing and trusting as his sister. 
> 
> Anyways, I want to say thank you to everyone who read and especially to those who commented. I love reading them every morning when I wake up and being able to reply to you all. ♥️
> 
> Second, I’m not entirely sure where this story is headed. I was thinking of just having it be about the Stark family; showing Morgan and Peter getting older throughout the years, possibly bringing in the Avengers, and eventually including a certain radioactive spider bite.. ;)
> 
> What do you guys think? I don’t think I want this to be super plot-heavy, I love the domestic and simplistic aspect of this story so far- but then again, I appreciate what you guys think. Let me know if you have any outstanding opinions!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Please don’t forget to take care of yourselves. X


	3. Father and Son

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy belated birthday Tony Stark. We all love and miss you 3,000 to infinity. <3

“I promise, everything will be fine, Tony,” Pepper consoled, probably for the 5th time. She adjusted her hold on the young girl, who was settled comfortably asleep on her hip. 

Tony let his eyes stay on his sleeping daughter before flicking his eyes up to meet his assistant’s.

“But...” For once, Tony didn’t know what to say. 

Pepper let out a sigh. “Tony, Morgan will be fine. I got this. Need I remind you that Morgan and I have gotten to know each other quite well in these past two weeks? Besides, you need to be without them some days, or else Obadiah is going to go crazy with this whole thing.”

Tony shook his head. “No, it’s not that I don’t trust you with her, trust me, there’s no one I trust more, but-“

“No buts,” Pepper interjected. “Morgan will be fine. She’ll be back home with her daddy before you know it. However, you have another child, Tony, a child that still hasn’t spoken directly to you. You desperately need this one-on-one time with him, it’s been two weeks.”

Tony knew Pepper was right. In the two weeks that he’s had the twins, Morgan was pretty much completely comfortable with Tony and her new life. Peter, on the other hand, was quite the opposite. 

It proved to be really difficult for Tony, because he wanted Peter to open up and he wanted to get closer to his son, but it’s made nearly impossible with Morgan around. All of Tony’s attention mainly went to Morgan, whose natural personality demanded attention, leaving Peter to continue to stay in his shell- much to the dismay of Tony. He tried, god, he tried, but he never seemed to be able to have enough alone time with Peter to really make something happen. 

And in spite of knowing all this, he admittedly became attached to his children, and having Pepper take Morgan away from him for even just the day made Tony anxious- not including the fact that he was only slightly afraid of being alone with Peter. 

Slightly. 

“Tony,” Pepper’s voice was softer, as if reading his thought process. “Peter needs you.”

Tony sniffed, his eyes averted from Pepper, as he attempted to keep the nonchalant mask he always wore. 

“You’re right, it’ll be fine. You know what, maybe you should take the munchkin for the whole week, less tantrums for me,” Tony said, finally handing over a bag of Morgan’s things. 

Pepper rolled her eyes. She saw right through his charade. In the past two weeks that Tony had the twins, Pepper saw him change in a way she never knew would be possible. He was actually... a parent. “I think you’d be the one throwing tantrums. You’d miss her too much.”

Tony tsked and waved her off, before pressing a quick kiss to the back of the sleeping toddler’s head. “Be good,” he whispered. 

“Not a scratch, even on her head, Potts,” Tony said, plastering on his official “commanding” tone. 

“Of course, Mr. Stark,” Pepper teased back, before turning around to head out the door, the toddler still asleep in her arms. 

Tony watched as she walked away, buckled Morgan into her car seat, and watched Happy drive them further and further away from his sight. 

Tony rubbed his temples tiredly, suppressing a yawn from escaping his mouth. It was 5:29AM, and they had decided to have Pepper come pick Morgan up before the twins normally woke up (which was usually around 6AM) to make it easier. 

He had no idea what the day would entail. What are you supposed to do to make your 2 year old son speak to you? 

Deciding that the best way to start his day was through coffee, he headed on over to the kitchen and waited for Peter to wake up. 

“Sir,” JARVIS’s voice struck through the air, making Tony jolt in his seat. “Young Peter is awake and appears to be in mild distress.”

“What?” Tony hissed, already rushing out of his seat towards his son’s room. “Why?”

“I am not entirely sure, sir,” JARVIS said, his tone slightly worried. “Although, he seems to be frantically looking for young Morgan.”

Tony felt the need to smack his hand against his forehead. Of course Peter would panic without his sister- they haven’t been apart for god knows how long and all of a sudden, without warning, he wakes up without her next to him. 

_God, I’m an idiot sometimes,_ Tony thought to himself before he entered the room as calmly as he could. 

The sight before him broke his heart.

Peter was on his bed, hugging his knees to chest as he let out violent sobs, making his tiny body tremble. 

“Hey, Petey,” Tony said in his “parent” voice, one that seemed to come almost naturally as he spent more time with Morgan and Peter. “What’s going on, buddy?”

Peter just looked at Tony, his wide eyes red and filled with tears. The two year old was definitely a sight to see- his lips pulled into a mega-pout that Tony would’ve honestly laughed at if he was under different circumstances. 

Peter then pointed to the pillow next to him (Morgan’s pillow), before looking to Tony for answers. 

“Use your words, Peter,” Tony urged. This was a tactic he used for Morgan as well, but it was something he wanted to specifically push for with Peter. “I can’t help you if you don’t use your words.”

Peter’s face merely scrunched up as he let out more sobs, which were turning into borderline screams, and Tony had to resist the urge to face plant.

Dealing with a 2 year old’s tantrum was  not what Tony had initially hoped for in his day. 

“Sorry, bud, but I don’t know what you’re asking for since you’re not using your words,” Tony said patiently, before turning around to head out the door to let Peter cry it out and calm himself down as usual, but Peter practically flew forward and grasped onto his father’s legs, as if terrified of being alone. 

The little boy shook his head violently, making Tony stop in shock. 

“Pete?” Tony asked, but said boy didn’t reply. His screaming subsided and silent tears were running down his sad face- but his body was still trembling.

_Ah, screw it,_ Tony thought before bending down to reach under Peter’s arms and lifted the boy up. 

“Alright, alright,” Tony pat the young boy’s back soothingly. He reached down under the bed to pull out a hidden stuffed raccoon, offering it to Peter. “Lookie here, Pete.”

Peter’s eyes widened ever so slightly, and he nearly threw himself towards the stuffed animal, hugging it close to his chest. 

Tony moved hair out of Peter’s face. “I think it’s time for you to get ready for the day, mister.”

He carried the toddler over to the bathroom, before helping the kid use the bathroom, brush his teeth, and change into new clothes. 

“Feelin’ refreshed?” Tony asked. 

Peter nodded- although, whether he understood what Tony was asking was up for debate. 

Tony placed his son back on the ground so he could walk and busy himself while Tony prepared breakfast for the kid. 

“JARVIS, keep an eye on him for me, will you?” 

“Of course, sir.”

Instead of busying himself with the many toys that were scattered around the living room as Tony expected any two year old to, the young boy merely stood rooted to his spot next to the kitchen’s island, fidgeting with the toy raccoon in his small hands. 

“Go ahead, Peter, shoo,” Tony urged, unsure of what he was doing just standing there. “Go play.”

Peter just looked back to the living room before looking back at Tony, his head tilting slightly to the side as he gazed at the pan atop the stove. 

Tony glanced between the omelette he was making and the kid standing awkwardly on his own before waving Peter his way. “This what you’re interested in? C’mere.”

Peter’s big brown eyes widened, and he pushed his hair out of his face as he approached Tony, eyes still focused on the sizzling sounds coming from the pan. 

Tony kneeled down and scooped the boy up with his left arm, still working on the omelette with his right hand. 

Peter leaned forward to get a closer look, but retreated back instantly when the sizzling grew louder. Tony held back a laugh, but couldn’t help the smile from spreading on his face.

“Crazy, huh? This is where your food comes from,” Tony remarked, highly amused by the awe-struck face of his son as he watched Tony pat and flip the eggs. 

“Here,” Tony offered the spatula to Peter, who took it hesitantly. He grasped his hand on top of Peter’s spatula-clasped hand, guiding him on how to make the eggs. 

Eventually, not to any surprise, Peter started to pull his hand away out of Tony’s to work on the omelette on his own. He used both of his small hands to pound the eggs, admittedly making a mess and more of scrambled eggs than an omelette, but Tony didn’t have the heart to stop him- this was the first time he really had alone time with Peter, and judging by the wide, toothy smile on his face as he went to town on those eggs, things were going well. 

“Eggs: 0, Peter: 1,” Tony commented humorously, before softly taking back the spatula before the eggs were burnt. 

Peter let out a loud whine and reached for the spatula, but Tony set it and him both down. “Sorry buddy, you got to eat. I promise you can help me cook tomorrow, okay?”

Peter let out a little whimper but nodded nonetheless. Tony internally sighed- Peter had mastered nodding and shaking his head to indicated ‘yes’ and ‘no’, but was still yet to use the actual words. 

With Peter busy with eating his omelette (now scrambled eggs?) and watching a Disney movie on the kitchen’s TV, Tony let himself get some work done on his Stark pad. 

Even though he had decided to take it easy on work these past few weeks in order to dedicate his time to the twins, he still had work to do and had to get back to his regular routine some time- as much as he was dreading it.

Tony felt like he had been living in a little bubble the past weeks- just him, Morgan, and Peter (with the exception of Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, and Obadiah) and it was sort of... nice. He hadn’t had any run-ins with business people or paparazzi- this was the first time he ever felt normal in his life, and it felt nice having the kids to himself. 

But he knew his little bubble would soon burst, and he’d have to come back to reality. He knew he’d have to leave the kids at times, and he knew he’d have to bend over backwards to try and keep the kids out of the spotlight. 

It was all very overwhelming, though Tony would never admit it. He could handle everything before, but now, everything he did would go back to his kids, and... it was a lot of pressure.

He didn’t know what lay ahead, but all he knew was that he needed to keep Morgan and Peter safe- and he was prepared to do whatever it took to do so. 

Tony was pulled out of his thoughts at the sound of little hands digging through play blocks a few feet away from him. As he had thought, Peter was in the living room playing with his blocks, his Disney movie and plate of eggs now abandoned. 

Tony decided to keep on doing work, since Peter was still happy playing on his own, and it would be only a matter of time before he got bored and began acting up, and Tony would need to give him his complete focus and attention. As a parent, you take all the free time you can get. 

A few hours later while Peter was taking a nap, and Tony was dozing off on the living room couch, his loud ringtone jolted him awake.

He grabbed his blaring phone to see “Pepper Potts” flashing, and he immediately answered. “How’s Morgan?”

“Why, hello to you, too,” The smooth voice of Pepper replied. In the background, multiple voices could be heard, only piquing Tony’s curiosity.

“Oh hello, Ms. Potts. How are you? That’s just wonderful. Oh I’m great, thanks so much for asking,” Tony said quickly and sarcastically, and he could practically see Pepper rolling her eyes at this from wherever she was. “Now, where are you?”

“If you must know, we are at the mall right now,” Pepper said good-naturedly. “This is possibly the third mall we’ve been to, actually. Morgan’s a big spender, like somebody I know.”

“Oh, I wonder who that is,” Tony said, feigning thoughtfulness. 

“Anyway,” Pepper’s voice shifted to a more neutral, conversational tone. “Morgan’s pooped. She had a lot of fun, but I think her lack of a nap made her crash hard. She’s asleep on Happy right now as we speak. She started to get a tad cranky and wouldn’t let us strap her in the stroller, so Happy kindly carried her until she fell asleep.”

A voice from a distance could be heard, “No no no, I didn’t  kindly carry her anywhere- I was forced into carrying the kid. She was a monster.”

“Oh sure Happy, she looked at you for one second with those puppy dog eyes and a pouted lip and you immediately caved and picked her up,” Pepper’s clearer voice said. 

Tony grinned at the thought of Happy grudgingly carrying a small child. “Oh that’s good. Send me pictures.”

“How’s Peter?” Pepper shifted the conversation, and the background noise grew quieter as if Pepper had gone somewhere more private. 

“Alive, at least,” Tony replied, his eyes flickering towards the direction of the twins room. “Gotta admit, it’s nice to spend time alone with the kid. I didn’t realize just how much I neglect him.”

Sending the guilty tone in his voice, Pepper immediately retracted. “None of that. You don’t neglect Peter. He’s low-maintenance compared to the little miss here who just demands attention whenever she walks into a room.”

“I hope you’re right,” Tony rubbed his face. “Still hasn’t spoken to me, though. Should I speak with a doctor about this? It’s not like he can’t speak or he doesn’t understand what I’m saying; he nods and shakes his head and points- everything but speaks.”

“I think it would be a good idea to be in contact with a doctor, just in case,” Pepper commented. “But I think you need to just give it time. He’s been opening up to you more and more everyday, and I think it’ll happen soon.”

Ah Pepper, ever the optimist . 

“Thanks, Miss Potts,” Tony said, suddenly growing tired of talking about his failures as a new father. “Give Morgan a kiss for me.”

“Will do, Mr. Stark.”

The line ended, and Tony felt a sudden urge to see Peter. He wasn’t sure why, but he just felt like a crappy father, and he needed to remind himself of why he was doing what he’s doing. 

Stepping into the room as quietly as possible, Tony took a seat next to the bed and watched the slow rise and fall of Peter’s chest. 

What felt like only a couple of seconds was actually minutes, and eventually the young boy was stirring awake on the bed, before his big brown eyes were staring back at Tony’s identical ones. 

“You have a good nap, kiddo?” Tony asked in hushed tones. 

Peter nodded softly, letting out a big yawn that made Tony chuckle. “Glad to hear it, kid.”

Tony gave Peter a soft smile, a smile in which he reserved only for his kids, and caressed the child’s smooth cheek.

This action must’ve lasted longer than Tony realized, because soon Peter grabbed his father’s hand and looked at him confusedly. 

Tony cleared his throat before pulling his hand away just to pick up Peter playfully, spinning him around, eliciting joyful laughs from the two year old. 

“Now, what shall we do for the rest of the day? Hm? Any ideas?” Tony asked, and Peter remained smiling. “Great idea, Pete. Movie it is!”

Settling on the couch with Peter on Tony’s lap, snacks around them, and a blanket wrapped snuggly around the both of them, Tony turned on the TV. 

The channel that he had left off on was then playing  _Star Wars: A New Hope_ . Preparing to change the channel to an animated Disney movie, which is what the twins would usually watch, Peter let out a loud exclamation at the screen- making Tony completely freeze. 

“Luke!”

Tony was sure that his eyes had gone comically wide as he looked to his toddler, who was grinning like no tomorrow, his eyes trained onto the TV. 

He opened and closed his mouth, gaping like a fish. Did Peter just... speak? Out loud? For Tony to hear?

And did he just say “Luke” as in “Luke Skywalker”? 

“Did you just say... Luke?” Tony asked Peter, but the toddler’s eyes were glued to the screen. 

“JARVIS,” Tony called out. “Did Peter say Luke? Or am I finally going completely bananas? Is it the coffee? The alcohol? Because I haven’t touched alcohol since the munchkins, and coffee, well-“

“Peter indeed said ‘Luke,’ sir,” JARVIS cut him off, sounding almost amused. 

“Oh, god, my son’s a nerd,” Tony said, looking over at Peter incredulously, a smile creeping onto his face. “You like Star Wars? I didn’t even know kids your age were even allowed to watch these movies. Something about too much violence or whatever.” Tony waved his hands in the air. “Beats me. But Peter, you said Luke! I finally heard your voice!”

Tony was laughing out of shock. So maybe he wasn’t a complete failure of a father. 

“Luke,” Tony said carefully, trying to urge Peter to say it again. “Luke. Luke. Luke. Luke.”

Peter finally turned away from the screen long enough to look at Tony, put one finger to his lips and say, “Shhh. Loud.”

Tony again was gobsmacked. He let himself slump on the couch and put a surprised hand to his face before a fond smile fell on his face.

“Sorry, bud,” Tony said, pulling Peter closer to him and letting him snuggle into his chest. “Let’s watch Luke.”

-

Pepper expected the house to be in utter chaos by the time she arrived back, and Tony to be in varying states of panic and exhaustion.

So, suffice to say that she was pleasantly surprised to walk into a quiet house, albeit dark. 

“JARVIS,” Pepper called out, holding on tighter to Morgan’s hand for precautionary reasons. “Where’s Tony and Peter?”

“They’re currently in the living room couch, Miss Potts.”

“Thank you JARVIS,” Pepper said, before looking down and nudging the little girl softly. “You excited to see your daddy and brother?”

Morgan nodded enthusiastically, practically jumping up and down. “Uh huh! Show daddy an’ Pete toys!”

Pepper smiled. “Yeah, show them all the toys you bought.”

They walked towards the living room, Morgan happily skipping. 

Pepper immediately halted both herself and Morgan at the sight before her, her free hand immediately going up to her mouth in awe. 

On the couch was Tony and Peter, and the end credits of Star Wars was rolling on the TV. But what struck Pepper was that the both of them were soundly asleep- Peter was completely snuggled to Tony’s side, his arms hugging Tony’s chest while Tony had his arm securely around Peter’s small frame. 

It was such a precious moment that Pepper asked JARVIS to take a picture of the moment. 

Before Pepper could make any other movement, Morgan released her hand from Pepper’s and ran to her family, jumping on top of them. 

“Daddy! Peter!” Morgan shouted, excitedly hopping up and down on the couch. 

Tony woke with a start, instinctively holding onto Peter more tightly, but softened his hold when he saw that it was just Morgan. 

Peter jolted awake too, but a big smile graced his face when he saw his twin. “Morgan!” He said (although his baby voice made it sound like “Mogan”) and he jumped up to hop alongside his sister. 

Upon hearing Peter speak, Pepper’s eyes widened and nearly gasped. She met eyes with Tony, who shrugged, a fond look on his face. 

The two hopped some more before Morgan threw herself onto her dad, Peter doing the same. “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy,” Morgan said, her voice high and excited. 

“Morgan, Morgan, Morgan,” Tony copied, an amused smile on his face. 

She began to ramble on, her fast baby voice making it difficult for anyone to understand her, but Tony smiled and “wowed” nonetheless, his eyes fixated on his daughter though he had his hand combing through his son’s hair who was to his side. 

Pepper, who couldn’t help but smile at the scene before her, turned away to make her leave. 

She entered the car outside, where Happy sat waiting. He looked at the woman from the car’s mirror. “Everything good?”

Pepper still had that same soft, fond smile on her face as she thought of the expressive young girl, kind young boy, and dedicated father who seemed to have transformed overnight. 

She nearly giggled as she shook her head to dispel her thoughts. 

“Everything’s exactly as it should be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is going to have a time jump! So don’t be surprised if the twins are older then. 
> 
> I plan on writing chapters of their lives as they grow older, so expect a lot of time jumps.
> 
> Until next time, please take care of yourselves! X


	4. Baby Mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s a bit of a long one ahead.. Enjoy!
> 
> P.S. This takes place in 2008.. I wonder what’s going to happen here... hmmm.. ;)

_4 years later..._

 

Ironically, Happy wasn’t happy. At all. 

He had been stuck in traffic for the past half hour due to a fatal accident, and now 2 lanes were closed down. 

Happy sucked in a breath as he checked the time again.  _ 2:37PM.  _

He was so late to pick up the twins, who get released from school at 1:50PM everyday. And Happy, being the best uncle ever (or Tony being the most protective dad ever by making it of utmost importance for the twins to be picked up on time), was never late to pick them up. 

Until now. At the  _worst_  possible time. 

Today was the last day the twins would be able to spend time with their dad before he went off to Afghanistan for work, and all parties involved hated being separated from each other- so all this time wasted was precious time taken away from Tony spending time with his kids before he left. 

Finally, the lanes began to move and Happy was able to book it to the school in a miraculous 5 minutes, the car pulling up to the front of the school with accelerated speed.

“Uncle Happy!” A chorus of voices rang out, and Happy walked out of the car with his hands up in the air as if in surrender, as he took in the two excited kids standing up from the steps they were waiting on and a very displeased looking teacher of theirs standing with her arms crossed.

“Sorry I’m late,” Happy said, patting the small shoulders of the two brunette haired 6 year olds that were both hugging his legs. He looked up to the teacher, “Car accident on the freeway. I was stuck there for a good half hour. Thanks for watching the kids.”

The teacher curtly replied, “of course” before turning on her heel and retreating back into the building.  _Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed_ _,_ Happy thought to himself. 

He looked back down at the kids who were still clutching onto his legs, and he gave them a final pat. “Alright, alright, let’s get a move on before your dad fires me.”

They pulled away, and Happy was met with the two faces he’s never gone a day without seeing in the past 4 years, and even Happy couldn’t hide his adoration for the two children. 

He vividly remembers just how tiny they were when they first stumbled into Tony (and by default, his) life, and now, despite still being very little, they had grown up so quickly. 

No longer were they two year olds that could barely speak broken sentences, they were now 6, nearing 7, years old and fully capable of speaking entire sentences (which they frequently took advantage of). Luckily, they still spoke with their little lisps, and Happy was grateful for that because they were growing up way too damn fast. He couldn’t keep up. 

Morgan’s brown hair now reached her waist, and she always wanted it perfectly brushed (Tony says she gets that habit from spending too much time with Pepper. Happy agrees). Peter’s brown hair transformed to be more wavy and curly, while Morgan’s hair was pin-straight. Unlike his sister, he allowed haircuts and so his curly hair was nicely styled. 

They both had sprouted like flowers, inches taller than they were at 2 years old (to no surprise), and although they lost some of the baby features as they grew older, they were still 6 year olds and thus maintain enough baby features that make adults want to pinch their cheeks. 

“Daddy wouldn’t fire you,” Peter replied, as Happy stood at the door of the car making sure the twins were securely strapped into their booster seats. 

“Oh, trust me, if it comes down to you munchkins, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do,” Happy said, before returning to his spot in the front to drive the two back home. 

As Happy was driving, and the two kids were having a loud conversation about (dragons? Noodles? Happy wasn’t sure- he blanked out long ago), Tony called. 

“Speak of the devil and he may appear,” Happy murmured to himself before answering. 

“Hi there, boss,” Happy says nonchalantly, having to raise his voice a bit higher so he could be heard over the twins voices. 

“There are two thoughts running across my mind right now,” Tony said, never one for introductions. “A. being: where are my kids, and B. being- yes, you thought correctly,  _ where are my kids?” _

As Happy opened his mouth to speak, there was a shrill scream of “Daddy” coming from the backseat, and if Happy wasn’t used to their loud screeches, he probably would’ve swerved the car out of fright. 

“Ah, there you are, little miss,” Tony’s voice filled the car. “Is your brother there with you?”

“I’m here!” Peter said, raising his hand in the air is if he were in a classroom and the teacher was doing roll-call. 

“Hi there, kiddo. What are you guys doing? I’m waiting in this big ol’ house all by myself.” 

“Uncle Happy’s driving, Daddy,” Morgan replied, a lot louder than needed, but then again 6 year olds didn’t understand the concept of speaker phone. “Petey and I went to school and did addition and subtractions and played with butterflies.”

“And colored! I colored Captain America and the millennium falcon!” Peter added, kicking his legs in excitement. 

“Wow,” Tony pretended to sound impressed. “Sounds like you two had an eventful day. Tell me all about it when you get home, alright?”

“We’ll be there in less than 5 minutes,” Happy added. 

“Finally,” Tony said. “Thanks for getting them to me in one piece, Hap.”

“Always,” Happy replied before they ended the call. 

“Is daddy leaving tomorrow?” Peter asked, and Happy glanced at the boy from his mirror. 

“Yeah, your dad is going a quick trip for work, but he’ll be back before you know it.”

“I don’t want daddy to leave, he always has to leave for work,” Morgan pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“He’ll be back soon, Morgan. Plus, you’ll get to spend time with Pep- I mean, Aunt Pepper. Doesn’t that sound fun?”

“But I want daddy,” Morgan whined and Happy resisted the urge to rub his forehead. He’ll let Tony deal with this. 

“Oh look, we’re home! I think a very special someone is waiting for you guys inside,” Happy baited. 

It worked, because as soon as Happy stopped the car, both children were quick to unbuckle their seatbelts and try to hop out the car. 

“Whoa, slow it down, guys,” Happy said, before unlocking the car doors. 

“Daddy!” The kids shrieked, throwing their backpacks against the wall once they entered their home. 

The kids roamed around the house in search of their father, but he was nowhere to be found. 

“JARVIS,” Peter called out. “Where’s daddy?”

“I wonder where he could be?” A voice wondered from behind the twins, who whipped around quickly and let out a shriek, running into the man’s legs. 

“Steady, you little monkeys,” Tony said, a grin splitting out onto his face. He craned his head to look up at Happy. “Thanks, Happy. Tomorrow at 9AM, alright?”

“Your flight’s at 5, boss.”

“Precisely. So, I’ll see you at 9.”

Happy just shook his head, an unsurprised smile on his face as he headed out the door. 

“Do you really have to go?” Morgan’s little voice asked, her eyes already watery with unshed tears. 

“Unfortunately, I do. Gotta protect America and whatnot,” Tony leaned down to his kids level, and took in their sad faces. They always struggled to come to terms with Tony’s work trips. 

“How long are you gonna be gone?” Peter asked this time, rocking back and forth on his heels. 

“Only for a few days. And before you know it, I’ll be back to bug you,” Tony playfully pinched Peter’s nose, evoking a laugh from the boy. 

“I want you to stay,” Morgan whined. Tony looked over at his little bossy-pants; Morgan was truly the head of the household with her boundless personality and stubborn attitude. 

“And I want to stay, too,” Tony said softly, placing his hand gently on her cheek. “But daddy has work he needs to finish, just like you and Petey do for school. I won’t be gone for long, so I need you to be a big girl and to hold tight until I come back, yeah?”

Morgan just pouted her lips, nodding her head nonetheless. Tony placed a smooch on her cheek before standing back up and clapping his hands. “I’m not leaving until tomorrow and the day has just begun, so we have a lot of time to have fun! What do you guys want to do?”

Before Morgan could get a word out, Peter excitedly yelled, “Star Wars!”

Both Morgan and Tony let out a loud groan.

 

-

 

A blaring noise broke through the air, stunning Tony out of his sleep.

“JARVIS, shut it off,” Tony grumbled sleepily, not moving an inch. 

However, JARVIS did not reply and the alarm continued to blare. Tony huffed and opened his eyes, checking the time. _4:00AM._

“JARVIS,” Tony called out, rubbing the sleep out of his face. 

“Yes, sir?”

“It is an ungodly hour, my dear AI, so why am I awake?” Tony’s voice was grumbly- he wasn’t expecting to wake up until 9 so this wasn’t a welcome surprise. 

“Your flight is at 5, sir,” JARVIS stayed matter-of-factly. “Miss Potts wanted to ensure you were awake early enough to get ready, say goodbye to the kids, and make it to your flight on time.”

Tony shook his head to himself.  Of course it was Pepper . 

“Fine, fine,” Tony waved his hands in the air, throwing the comforter off his body. “Only because she asked so nicely.”

All of Tony’s stuff were already loaded onto his private jet, so all he really had to do was wake up and get his day kick-started.

Before heading out the door to meet Happy, Tony quietly snuck into the twins room. He first approached Morgan, whose bed was closest to the door, and moved the hair out of her face before pressing a kiss against her sleeping head. He moved onto Peter, doing the same thing to him as well. 

He stood back and took a brief moment to just watch his kids sleep peacefully in the darkness. 

Reminding himself that he needed to move some time, he approached the door and had his hand on the handle, before he heard a soft “daddy?”

Tony turned around from the doorway and saw his daughter rubbing her eyes sleepily, still laying down on her bed. 

“Hey,” Tony whispered, kneeling on the floor next to her bed, petting her head. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Leaving now?” Morgan asked, her voice thick with sleep. Matter of fact, her eyelids were heavy and it was obvious she was fighting to stay awake. 

“Yeah, I just wanted to say goodbye before I left. Go back to sleep- Aunt Pepper will be here when you wake up,” Tony smiled at the sleepy girl. “Love you tons.”

Morgan, her eyes already shut and her breathing beginning to even out, let out in a small whisper, “Love you 3000, daddy.”

Tony smiled down at his daughter, not wanting to leave even more.

“I love you 3000, too, daddy,” Peter’s little voice whispered through the air, and Tony caught sight of the twinkling eyes of his son in the bed across from him. 

Tony walked on over to the side of Peter bed. “Oh, do you?” Tony teased in a whisper. 

“Uh huh,” Peter nodded, rubbing his eyes. 

“Well, that’s good, because I love you and Morgan 3000 to infinity,” Tony said, tucking the sheets around Peter more tightly. 

“That’s a lot,” Peter whispered, eliciting a yawn from his mouth.

“It is,” Tony replied, petting his hair back slowly. “Go back to sleep, buddy.”

He didn’t need to tell him twice, for Peter fell asleep not even 2 seconds later. 

Hearing light footsteps coming from outside, Tony knew it could only be Pepper, so he gave one last look at his children before walking out and shutting the door. 

He was met with a pajama-clothed Pepper Potts, who looked tired but slightly smug at the sight of him awake and on time. However, she didn’t say anything about it. “They asleep?”

“They woke up a bit when I came in, but they’re dead asleep now.”

Pepper nodded.

“I appreciate you watching over them while I’m gone. I know it’s not your job and you have a lot of things you’re working on, so, yeah, thank you.”

Pepper smiled. The man her boss had transformed into these past few years was a man she knew he always was deep down inside- he just kept it locked away. That is, until the twins came along. 

“It’s no problem at all, Mr. Stark,” Pepper said, her humorous tone playing at their usual joking banter, but the soft smile on her face showed her appreciation. 

Tony cleared his throat and headed to the front door. “Take good care of my kids, Miss Potts. Also, nice pajamas. Love the silk.” 

He gave her a sly wink before disappearing outside the door. Pepper chuckled to herself, pretending not to feel the heat rush to her cheeks. 

 

-

 

There are two things in the world that make Morgan and Peter Parker (secretly Morgan and Peter Parker Stark) happy no matter the circumstance. Those two things being: juice pops and toys. It doesn’t matter what flavor the juice pop or the sort of toy- they loved it all. 

It always worked. When Morgan came down with a fever of 102 degrees and she could do nothing but cry due to the pain, all it took was a juice pop for Morgan to quiet down for just a few minutes- and eventually lulling her to, although admittedly uneasy, sleep (but sleep nonetheless). 

When Peter would have nightmares of the parents he barely remembered dying in front of him, he’d wake up in a cold sweat with tears streaming down his face, running out of his room and running the hallways calling for his dad, and all it took was a stuffed raccoon to help him feel safe enough to go back to sleep- an admittedly uneasy sleep, but sleep nonetheless. 

Juice pops and toys may have worked all those times before. But they weren’t working now. 

Peter and Morgan were in their room, an abundance of toys at their disposal spread throughout the room and a whole box of juice pops on their desk table (which they were sure were melting by that point) that Aunt Pepper had left in her haste to speak to Uncle Rhodey. 

This wasn’t the first time the two of them were forced into their room when people came. Their daddy did it all the time- he always apologized after, and always tried to explain to them that he did it in order to keep them safe- another reason why they couldn’t let anybody know they were Peter and Morgan Parker Stark; just Morgan and Peter Parker. 

What did make them uneasy was that before they were forced into their room, they were happily watching cartoons in the living room while Aunt Pepper was doing work next to them on the couch. That is, until Aunt Pepper got a call and she went ghost white, hurrying to the front door where Uncle Rhodey appeared. 

It wasn’t unusual for him to come visit- in fact, he came regularly to spend time with his niece and nephew. What was unusual was that he walked in the house, breathing heavily as if he had come straight to the house from his trip, looking tremendously unkept. This was a scary sight for the 6 year olds, who never saw their Uncle Rhodey without a smile on his face. 

At the sight of him, their Aunt Pepper let out a quiet “oh dear god,” before she went on over to the two of them, trying her best to calmly yet hurriedly bring them to their room and for them to stay there while she spoke with their uncle. She had told the two of them that everything was completely fine. 

They didn’t believe her. 

Her hands were shaking when she held their hands while en route to their room. Aunt Pepper never trembled. 

As soon as the door closed, the twins ran to press their ear against the shut door in an attempt to eavesdrop on their conversation, but unfortunately, JARVIS had sound-proofed the room per Aunt Pepper’s request. Darn. 

“What do you think they’re talking ‘bout?” Peter asked his sister, softly petting the fur of his stuffed raccoon, as he sat cross-legged on his bed. 

“I dunno,” Morgan said, in an uncharacteristically quiet tone. She was fiddling with a loose thread on her comforter. “I want daddy.”

“Me too,” Peter whispered. It had been 3 days since their dad left for a work trip in Afghanistan, and they had been in contact with him twice a day everyday, except for today. 

Aunt Pepper had said it was because there’s not a lot of good reception in the desert, but both the twins noticed she had bit her lip when saying so- something she only did when she wasn’t certain. 

After a few more minutes of silence and the occasional humming by Morgan, the door finally opened to reveal a red-eyed Pepper, although she had tried to conceal it. 

She let out a breath as she entered the room, a fake, painful smile plastered on her face. 

“Hi,” She breathed, letting out a traitor sniffle as she kneeled down on the floor next to Morgan’s bed. “Come here,” She gestured to Peter to sit next to Morgan so she could have both of them in front of her. 

“Are you okay, Aunt Pepper?” Morgan asked, a deep frown on her face. Pepper’s eyes watered slightly but she forced them away. She had to be strong for them. It’s what Tony would want if he were here...

“I’m okay,” Pepper said, grabbing a hand from each twin. “I just need to tell you both something, and I’m going to need you to listen to me very carefully, alright?”

Both kids nodded their head obediently, and the way their eyes went wide so innocently made Pepper’s throat tighten. 

“Remember how your daddy went on a work trip a few days ago right?” The twins nodded their heads. “Well... While your daddy was working, something bad happened. H-he went missing. We don’t know when he’s coming back.”  _Or if he’ll even be found_ , Pepper thought, but she couldn’t say that out loud to them.

“But daddy always comes home,” Peter said, his small mind having trouble understanding what ‘went missing’ means. “Maybe he’s playing hide and seek, and is waiting for someone to find him.”

Morgan nodded her head profusely. “Yeah, he’s hiding! Petey and I can look for him- we always find him!”

Pepper couldn’t help the tears brimming her eyes as she shook her head. “Honey... he’s not playing hide and seek. Someone took him.”

Morgan tilted her head to the side in confusion. “Someone took daddy?”

Pepper let out a breath. Out of all her long years working for Tony, practically carrying the whole company on her back and dealing with Tony’s chaotic behavior, this,  _this_  had to be the one to take the cake of the hardest thing she’s had to do in this job.

“Bad people took your daddy,” A new voice interjected, saving Pepper’s breath. Rhodey was leaning against the doorway, still looking a bit worse for wear, but a new glint of determination was in his eyes. “They took him and now he’s missing, but I will find him. I promise.”

Morgan’s eyes began to water as the situation began to weigh down on her. “When is he coming back?”

Rhodey let out a sigh, and kneeled down next to Pepper to reach their height. “I don’t know, sweetheart. But you both will never be alone. Aunt Pepper, me, Uncle Happy, and Uncle Obie will always be here with you until we find your daddy, hell, we’ll be here even after we find him, you got it?”

By that point, Peter’s eyes were beginning to water at the prospect of life without his father- his only constant besides his sister- but Morgan was beginning to let out full on whimpers. 

“B-b-b-But,” The young girl stammered, her pouty mouth trembling. Suddenly, she let out a loud wail. “I want daddy  now .”

Rhodey cringed at the sudden piercing cry, but Pepper, amidst her tears, went forward and wrapped the young girl in a tight hug. 

Morgan thrashed in her arms for a few seconds, hot tears rolling down her face, but Pepper kept her hold on her tight.

Eventually, all the energy seeped out of Morgan’s little body and she slumped against her aunt- her head dug deep into Aunt Pepper’s neck.

Pepper stood up with Morgan still wrapped in her arms with a bit of struggle, before turning to Rhodey with a look- and, as if having a silent conversation, Rhodey nodded and went forward to pick up Peter, who was silently crying into his stuffed raccoon. 

Pepper and Rhodey planned to watch TV in the living room with the kids, cuddled close to them until they eventually fell to sleep. An admittedly uneasy sleep, but sleep nonetheless. 

It’s all they felt they could do. 

 

-

 

_3 months later..._

 

“Hey bud, you look like you’ve grown about 10 inches since I last saw you!” Happy ruffled Peter’s head as he walked out of his school, to which Peter good-naturedly smacked his hand away. 

“You saw me last week,” Peter commented, pushing his glasses higher up his nose. 

“Still, you goin through a growth spurt or something?” Happy shook his head incredulously. He never realized just how fast kids grow up. “Hey, where’s your sister?”

“Ballet class with Aunt Pepper, remember?”

“Ah, forgot about those,” Happy said absently.

A lot can happen in three months, they all noted. Peter and Morgan grew even taller than before, Peter’s vision gradually worsened resulting in him wearing glasses everyday now, and Morgan now took up ballet as a hobby. 

“You don’t want to do ballet too, huh?” Happy asked as Peter buckled himself in the car. 

“Nah,” Peter said. “I like LEGOs.”

It was true; Peter was obsessed with the toys, and went through them as if they were nothing. When the easy, age appropriate LEGOs proved to be insufficient for Peter, Pepper decided to order in a whole bunch of more difficult LEGOs. And unsurprisingly, Peter went through those with ease.

Pepper hid a smile when Peter finished a rather complex LEGO set, being reminded of just how similar Peter was to his father. She wouldn’t be surprised if he grew up to be an inventor and builder like his dad.

“Where’s Uncle Rhodey?” Peter questioned, his wide eyes meeting Happy’s in the mirror. 

“Still away,” Happy said sympathetically. “Sorry buddy. He should be back soon.”

Peter merely nodded, turning his head to look out the window tiredly. 

He saw his Uncle Rhodey pretty frequently, but there were periods where he’d be gone for weeks on end. Peter never talked too much about it, but he knew it was because he was looking for his daddy. 

Both Peter and Morgan liked to believe that their daddy really was alive out there waiting to be rescued by Uncle Rhodey, and didn’t believe any of what the news were saying (even though Aunt Pepper had no idea that they saw the news).

As if fate willed it, Happy received a call from a frantic Pepper. 

“What do you mean I have to pick you up? Isn’t Morgan’s class over at 4?” Happy spoke into the speaker phone, making Peter pique in interest. 

“Happy,” Pepper sounded both breathless and annoyed. “It’s urgent.”

“Alright, alright, heading there now.”

Before Happy could even fully turn into the front of the building, Pepper was already rushing towards the car with Morgan in her arms. She threw the door open before he could even reach a full stop, resulting in Happy letting out a “Hey Hey Hey!”

“Sorry, Happy,” Pepper said, her tone sounding almost as flushed as she looked. She hurriedly helped Morgan strap herself into her car seat, fortunately with quick ease as she had grown used to doing so the past 3 months. 

Blowing Peter a kiss, she then went over to the passenger seat, ushering Happy to “step on it.”

“Is everything alright? Where are we even going?” Happy asked, pulling out onto the streets. He glanced at Pepper. “Are you  _ cry -“ _

But Pepper had interrupted him in the middle of his sentence, wiping her eyes and shifting her body to the side as she looked at the two kids behind her.

“Hi, sweeties,” Pepper gave them a smile. “Uncle Happy and I have some last minute business to do, so Ms. Maria will watch you for a little while, okay?”

“We do?” Happy asked and Pepper shot him a look that said ‘shut up’ before turning back sweetly to the kids. 

“Okay..” Morgan and Peter both said quietly and obediently- knowing not to mess with their Aunt Pepper when she was in her frantic moods. They weren’t that often, but when they did come, they definitely did not want to stress her out more. Plus, they liked Ms. Maria; Aunt Pepper had told them that their daddy had hired her because she was nice and had the same name as his mommy. 

Pepper seemed satisfied with that answer, as she gave a slight nod before facing forward again. Although, to any stranger, she may have looked very well put together and at ease- but Happy had known her long enough to notice the way her eyes would go back and forth as if in overdrive and the slight bounce of her right leg. 

By the time Happy pulled into the driveway, Ms. Maria was already waiting outside. Happy barely had the time to unlock the door before Pepper opened her door and went to get the kids out from the back, walking towards Ms. Maria with one kid holding each of her hands. 

“Thank you so much for doing this so last minute, Maria,” Gratitude seeped throughout Pepper’s every word. “We’d love to pay you extra for your troubles.”

Ms. Maria waved her off, a kind smile on her face. “It’s no issue,” She replied, holding out her hands for the two kids, who went to grab them with their own. “Now, go ahead. Sounded like quite an emergency.”

Pepper gave her a smile before bending down to kiss Peter and Morgan’s heads. “Be back soon, alright? Be good.”

The kids bid goodbye, and were only slightly confused when Aunt Pepper lingered for a while longer to look at them with a weird look on her face even when she already said goodbye.

“Ms. Potts?” Ms. Maria interjected, her tone soft as she tried to catch the attention of the blonde. 

“Oh yes, of course,” Pepper jumped, taking a few steps back to the car. “I’ll see you all in a few hours.”

Once Pepper was safely in the car, Happy immediately bounded her as he drove. “What in the  _hell_   was all that about?”

Pepper let out a sniff. Now that the kids were gone, her facade was breaking and she couldn’t help the tears in her eyes. 

“Rhodey called... H-he said... They found him, Happy,” Pepper said and Happy’s eyes widened. “Which is why we gotta get to the airport now. They’re on the way and should get here in 30 minutes.”

Happy was overjoyed- Tony was his boss, yes, but he’s always been a friend first and foremost. And though he never showed it, he missed Tony and thought of him everyday; waiting for that son of a bitch to come back home to piss them all of again...

But when Happy snuck a glance at Pepper, she looked like there were a range of emotions going on in her head. 

“But that’s a good thing, right? It’s what we’ve been hoping for all along, and it’s finally happening.”

Pepper nodded her head immediately. “Of course. I couldn’t be more relieved and happy that he’s back, but... I don’t know how bad it is. Reception’s bad over there so all Rhodey could tell me was that they found Tony- I don’t know how bad it is, and it probably is super bad, Happy, I mean, the guy’s been held hostage for 3 months.”

Pepper let out another sniffle, more tears spilling out of her eyes. “And I just.. I just want this to be real, you know? Especially for Peter and Morgan. I didn’t bring them because, well, I didn’t want to get their hopes up in case...” She trailed off, trying to discreetly wipe the tears off her face as she looked out the window. 

Happy, showing a side of him that only Morgan and Peter ever really got to see, pulled his right hand free from the wheel to grab Pepper’s left hand and squeezed it. “It’ll be fine. All that matters is that Tony is back alive and safe.”

Pepper peered at Happy through her tear-flooded eyes and gave him a watery smile. 

Happy gave her a fleeting one back before putting his hand back on the wheel, eyes completely focused on the road ahead. “Also, you’ve been like a mom to those kids these past few months. They wouldn’t have been able to deal without you. Tony owes you a lot when he comes back.”

Pepper rolled her eyes, a smile still gracing her lips. 

Afterwards, the drive went by in comfortable silence, and soon Pepper’s tears subsided- all that was left were her dry, red eyes, but there was not much she could do about it. Not like she cared. She wanted, no,  _needed_ _,_ to see Tony with her own eyes and that was all that mattered.

As soon as the silhouette of a jet came into view, Pepper climbed out of the car and decided to wait right in front of the jet- internally preparing herself for what she was going to see once the jet landed. 

She expected to see Tony unconscious and strapped to a gurney. She expected to see him in pain and so out of character that he may as well be someone else. 

What she didn’t expect to see was her boss standing completely upright, albeit his arm in a sling and looking obviously worse for wear, but standing nonetheless. She didn’t expect him to be conscious and very much himself, but that much was proven wrong when she saw the offended look on his face as medics with a gurney came towards him, sending them away immediately without a second glance. 

Pepper couldn’t help the wide smile that spread onto her face, biting her lip down from all the anticipation. He was alive and he was safe and he was here.

Tony made his way towards his assistant, his ever-teasingly scrutinizing look on his face, and the barely hidden smile still on Pepper’s. “Hmm. Your eyes are red,” Tony observed. “Tears for your long lost boss?”

“Tears of joy,” Pepper replied instantly. Their usual bickering as unfailing as ever. “I hate job hunting.”

Tony hid a smile before diverting his eyes to shift the conversation. “Yeah, well, vacation’s over.”

 

-

 

“Tony, what in the world happened in there?” Pepper asked, climbing into the car after Tony, ignoring the flashing of cameras around them. “What were you thinking? What happened in Afghanistan?  What did you even mean  by shutting down the weapons division? Do you realize what that entails?”

Pepper bombarded him with questions but Tony knocked on something on his chest with his fist, making a weird sound that skin shouldn’t make. Pepper immediately halted her questions and looked at him wearily. “What was that?”

“Ah, the reactor’s just eatin’ away at my chest, as per usual. Anyway, continue- you were saying?” Tony said mock-politely, but luckily his plan worked because now Pepper’s focus was glued to his chest where she saw a light glow emanating from it. 

“Is that... by reactor, do you mean arc reactor?” Pepper asked, her voice breathless. “Tony, is that thing _inside_ of you?”

“Details,” Tony said, brushing the conversation aside. “Now, all seriousness..” 

Pepper let out an incredulous sound at the back of her throat, but let him continue. She knew this conversation wasn’t over.

“How’s Peter and Morgan? They... doing alright? They’re safe, right? Healthy? Happy? Do they think I’m dead? Am I going to have to pretend to be a ghost dad for the rest of their lives-?” Tony rambled, and Pepper cut him off. 

“They’re good. Definitely safe, definitely healthy, and happy, well, some days are harder than others. They’ve missed you,” Pepper said softly, taking note of the vivid emotion on Tony’s face but chose not say anything about it. 

Hearing Pepper talk about his kids made something in Tony’s heart clench. All those months he was trapped in that..  hell ... all that kept him going was the thought of seeing his kids again. Every night he dreamed of them, and he began every morning with thoughts of them and ended every night the same way. 

Nothing had changed.

All he could think was  _Does Peter still bite down on the inside of his mouth when he’s nervous? Does Morgan still scrunch up her nose when she’s angry?_

_Could I still be a father to them now that I’m… like this?_

Tony sniffed and turned to look out the window, not caring that his arc reactor was out for Pepper to continue gawking at. He was tired… and he wanted to go home to see his kids.. he wanted  normal. But he knew everything would be different.  _H_ _e_ was different.

Pepper continued to look at him- not just at the glowing on his chest but at him. She took in how messy and exhausted he really looked, and she couldn’t put her finger on it, but he was different. Not just in the way he looked, but in the way he acted. As cheesy as it sounded, she could see it in his eyes. He now had the traumatized eyes of a man who had seen it all… and Pepper had no idea what was in store for the future, but she knew it would be something big.

She gave him one last glance before letting out a sigh, and turned to the front. “Take us home now, please, Happy.”

 

-

 

As soon as Happy stopped at the driveway, Pepper turned to Tony. “Alright, we need to figure out how we’re going to do this.”

Tony tossed Pepper a look. “Do what?”

“Break the news to the kids,” Pepper said, as if it were obvious. “You can’t just parade on in there, Tony, they haven’t seen or heard from you in months-“

“Which is why,” Tony interrupted, sitting upright. “I’m going in there now.”

He pulled on the doorknob and headed out the car, striding towards his front door. 

“Tony,” Pepper exasperatedly called, trying to keep up with him in her heels.

“Pepper,” Tony said, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice. “I’ve been held hostage for three months.  Three months. Three months of not knowing if I’d ever be able to see my kids again, and now they’re only a few feet away from me, so I am going to see them.

Pepper merely nodded. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

Tony, a bit taken aback by her complacency, nodded briskly, before heading into his home. 

“Welcome back, sir. It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to be back, J.”

Tony’s urgency to see the twins faded as he took in the room before him. Being in his home after all those months away was enough to overwhelm him, but seeing the kids belongings strewn all over the room as if not even a day had passed was enough to fill Tony with emotion. 

Over the floor were toys scattered, their jackets or socks placed haphazardly on the couch, and snack wrappers on the table- and never before had Tony ever felt so relieved to see mess. 

Tony walked forward to place a hand on what was obviously Peter’s jacket, judging off of the big Star Wars logo on the back of it. 

“Daddy?” A quiet voice said, shock and uncertainty seeped through the voice. Tony pulled his hand away from the jacket to look towards the source of the voice, and was met with his two wide-eyed, brown haired children looking as beautiful as he ever saw them. 

“Hey, kiddies,” Tony said, a warm smile gracing his face- a smile he hasn’t felt since before the kidnapping, a smile so foreign that it almost hurt to be on his face. “Been a while, hasn’t it?”

Both kids didn’t have the voice to reply- before Tony could even finish his sentence, the two kids practically flew across the room to reach him and hugged his front. Tony, taken aback by the sudden contact, was even more taken aback by how much they grew in height.  _ Who let them get so big? _

Tony kneeled down onto the floor to better reach his kids to hug them back (and totally not to disguise his own misty eyes… totally not). He had one kid on each side of his shoulder, and he dug his own head in between them, taking in their scent.

Pepper, who made brief eye contact with Maria from across the room, turned to leave to allow Tony to have this intimate moment. Both women didn’t try to hide the tears in their eyes as they left.

Tony’s shirt was beginning to get soaked by their tears, and he struggled to prevent his own tears from falling as he held their trembling bodies against his chest.

A few moments later, Morgan sniffled and detached her head away from his chest, looking not at his eyes but the blue glowing emanating from his chest. “Daddy, what’s that?” 

Morgan pointed at the arc reactor, gaining the attention of her brother who also went to look at it. 

Tony froze. “It’s, uh, part of me now. It’s called an arc reactor, and helps my heart, see?” He took their hands and placed it over his chest. Never would he feel comfortable letting someone go near his arc reactor this closely after the events of Afghanistan, but they were his kids, and he was terrified that they would be afraid of it.

Morgan and Peter looked curiously at the new intruder, and Tony gazed at them anxiously. 

“It’s cool, daddy,” Peter said, smiling at his father regardless of the tears on his face. He wiped his nose with his sleeve. “It’s like you could be in Star Wars.”

“Really? Thanks, bud,” Tony froze in shock, but eventually recovered, patting his son on the back affectionately. “By the way, love the new glasses, Clark Kent. God, you’ve changed a lot since I last saw you.” The last sentence came out quieter, as Tony was mainly speaking to himself by that point as he shook his head incredulously. 

Tony turned to Morgan, who was still staring at the arc reactor. “Yoo-hoo,” Tony called out to her, tapping her back lightly. “Earth to Morguna.”

She looked back up to him, and tears filled her eyes once again. Tony’s eyebrows immediately furrowed. “Honey-“ He began to say, but Morgan, with a lot more force than he ever remembered her having, hugged him tight, pressing her face against the arc reactor. 

“I missed you,” She mumbled softly, her voice muffled by the clothes. 

Tony placed a kiss at the top of her head before pulling Peter into the embrace as well, planting a kiss on his head. “I missed you too. I missed both of you.”

The kids happily hugged their dad tightly, and even though they were squishing his slinged arm and he couldn’t really breathe, he felt safe and happy for the first time in 3 months. 

He was different. He knew he was different, and he knew everything from this point on wouldn’t be the same. 

He knew he’d struggle, hell, just thinking about sleeping in his own bed tonight gave him heart palpitations, and he knew something much bigger was one store. 

Tony was a changed man. 

The only thing that Tony knew would stay the same is his love for his kids and his need to keep them safe and happy. He wanted to be a dad they’d grow up to be proud of- not a mass murderer responsible for creating weapons for the bad guys. He wanted to make things right. 

And little did he know then, he would. 

 

 

_ “I am Iron Man.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos to anyone who noticed that all the titles of these chapters are titles of songs that have to do with a parent’s message to their child. ;) 
> 
> So far we’ve had Father Figure by George Michael, Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns N Roses, Father and Son by Cat Stevens, and Baby Mine by Bette Midler. 
> 
> If anyone has any requests or recommendations for songs that can be used as chapter titles, feel free to send them my way! X

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this wasn’t complete crap... 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading if you did, and don’t forget to take care of yourselves! X


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